The Captain's Apprentice
by And Momo was Loco
Summary: When Captain Arai takes Keiko Iwamura under her wing as an apprentice, all hell breaks lose as she sends her on errands all the while teaching her the ways of swordsmanship.  Will Keiko live up to her name as an Iwamura? Shuuheixoc AizenxGin.
1. Chapter I: Catching On

**A/N: Hey everyone; it's Momo again! The World Among Strangers is on a small break (too small to be a hiatus) because I wanted to write other fics. I decided to go with Bleach this time just to get out of the rigmarole of writing FFVII fanfiction. When I get ideas for my story I will return to it, but for now I will be either updating this puppy or writing TWAS (oh cool, the acronym for The World Among Strangers is TWAS…Twas the night before... and I digress). Anyway, this is becoming a long ass Author's Note so I'm going to stop while I'm ahead. I have written Bleach fanfiction a long time ago, but I don't remember it, so bear with me people. Enjoy!**

**Smooches!**

**-Momo**

**Oh sugar honey iced tea I forgot to give you a character description of the main character! And I would like to give a warm shout out to Mizperceived because she's helped me through all the ideas I have, and she's great at conjuring up ideas! Thanks babe!**

**Name: Keiko Iwamura**

**Age: 18**

**Hair /eye colour: brown **

**Physique: skinny; minimally curvy**

**Height: 5'6"**

**Now for the story!**

Chapter I: Catching On

Life's an odd thing, isn't it? It like a game, a game of luck that just spins everyone turns until their turns, or luck, has run out. I think mine just has.

The name's Keiko Iwamura, not Kayla, not Katelyn and certainly not Katsuya (most of my teachers call me one or all of the afore mentioned names). I'm the youngest of the famous Iwamura clan; you know…the family that "breeds" excellent soul reapers. My parents are very well known around the Soul Society, and my brother, Benjirou, is working his way up to bring something big, I just know it. I have a sister who's an up-and-coming teacher at the academy, and as for me I'm _in _the academy… barely passing. You see, out of all of my family, even my cousins and aunts and what have you, I am the only person that has not even picked up an actual asauchi yet! I'm still doing basics and remedial courses with a wooden sword. The teachers keep telling my parents, "It's ok, Keiko may not be as progressive as your other children were, but she'll get the hang of it." Or "She just needs some time." They act like I'm completely handicapped or something! I actually think I'm doing fine… I guess. The only classes I'm doing well in are the academic classes. Oddly enough I'm the only individual in the family that's actually good and excels at them. At least I have something good going for me.

Today in history we were discussing the history of the zanpakuto, and I answered every question about the technicalities of the blade correctly, but when it came to anything about sparring I kept my mouth shut.

"Kimberly would you like to answer this question?" Kenzu, my annoying but very strong cousin, mocked. I rolled my eyes.

"Just because I am not as proficient as you are in swordsmanship does not make you any better of a person than I am." I said with an aggravated tone. He was taken aback by this comment.

"Well excuse me, seems like Miss Keiko's got her panties wrapped in a bunch today! Man, lighten up! It's ok that you're in, hah, the slow classes." He laughed. I wish Mr. Tanaka would get Kenzu away from me. He's really repulsive. Finally the bell rang, and I sprung up out of my seat. I pushed past Kenzu and waltzed out to eat lunch.

Eating lunch was always a mundane process (since I eat the same meal of chicken and rice everyday), but today I was oddly happy. I was planning on working extra hard during my combat classes because I'm tired of taking remedial! It's almost Selection Day, and I'm not even at real blade work!

As I was practicing with my friend Mizu, who was probably the best student in the class, I noticed Mr. Seido talking to a young-looking woman. I became so transfixed in their conversation, that I didn't notice Mizu charging after me with her wooden weapon. When I finally realized what was going on, I ended up on the hard, dirt-covered ground because I had no time to react to her. As soon as Mr. Seido heard the noise he called me over.

"Iwamura, what just happened?" he asked sternly, his raspy, deep voice pervading the air. The woman, who was very beautiful, caramel-complexioned and had dark hair and eyes, stepped beside him.

"Sensei, I-I blanked out, and then I realized Mizu was attacking me, so the only I could evade her was to duck under." I stammered nervously. He shook his head.

"I've told you before, Iwamura, that you cannot allow yourself to daydream during battle. Now what if you were both using asauchi? If you didn't duck, you would have been finished!" He bellowed. The woman cleared her throat.

"Well, I commend her for ducking. That was a smart move on your part." She said. I smiled.

"Thank you, miss." I said quietly and shyly with a bow. She nodded. Then something came to her mind.

"Don't get me wrong, but are you related to Benjirou or Ageha?"

"Yes. They are my siblings." I responded. My instructor chuckled.

"Isn't it odd that she's a part of the Iwamura clan, but she's not as _productive _as most of the clan is?" He said. She shook her head.

"No. Not at all. When I first started I was terrible, but look at me now. Not everyone has to produce well to be well." She added. "Well, Sensei, I must be leaving. I have an engagement to attend to with Lieut. Hisagi. It was a pleasure seeing you." She bowed. He smiled and bowed back in a phony way. He was quite angry about her not trying to put me down.

"The pleasure is all mine." He responded. She then turned to me.

"Hey, kid, you may be having a hard time now, but trust me, you'll get the hang of it." She then walked back into the main building, and he dismissed me to go back to what I was doing previously. When I got back to Mizu, her face was covered in awe.

"What's up with you?" I asked with a confused face. Her eyes widened.

"Do you just realize who you just talked to?" She asked expressively.

"Uh, yeah. I just talked to Sensei and one of his former students." I replied. She looked at me as if she were going to blow up on me.

"She's not just _any _regular former student, she's Kaoru Arai, captain of the fourteenth squad!" She shouted. I thought about the woman's appearance.

"A woman wearing a sleeveless, kimono-style mini dress with fishnets is captain? She wasn't even wearing the generic white robe that they wear!" I retorted.

"She's just got a mean fashion sense that's all. In fact, she's actually the only girl captain." I had to pause after that comment. I normally do some when someone either says something stupid or out-of-character.

"Mizu, don't you realize that Soi Fon is the captain of Squad Two?" Maybe that's why she's in these remedial classes.

"Uh-y-yeah, but what I meant is that Captain Arai is only a captain. She doesn't have any other titles like Soi Fon does. Anyway, you know selection day is coming up soon, and I'm hoping that Captain Arai could choose me. Since she does not have a lieutenant at the moment, maybe I can work my up to becoming one.

"But what if she finds one before you are able to get that high-ranked?" I asked.

"Oh come on, Keiko. Don't be such a wet blanket! She _will _choose me! Just you wait!" She spat, getting back into her battle stance. I picked up the wooden sword, and we sparred again. Hopefully somebody will choose me, if not, I could always have a clerical job…maybe?


	2. Chapter II: Home Life

Chapter II: Home Life

My immediate family consisted of odd people. We were all one way when in public, but behind closed doors, especially when with other family members, we were completely different. You see, being an Iwamura is like night and day; the day time Iwamura, usually seen in public is always kind and respectable, while the night Iwamura is aloof, extremely reserved and can be quite condescending at times. The best example of this would be my mother.

My mother, though married into the family, was not always double-sided. I remember looking at old photographs of her, and she was actually a beautiful, kind woman from what I saw. Every picture of her before she was married just screamed, "Look at me, I'm a great soul reaper, I'm childless and I'm single!" Now that she's married she's only taken at most three pictures, and from those pictures I see a completely different woman. This woman's expressions and body language painted a story of pain, aggravation, married life and most of all, loss of identity. Once you become an Iwamura, you lose who you are in the process. She'll never be the same Atsuko Sato ever again.

Customarily when I get home I take a shower, eat dinner, do some homework and then go for a walk. However, tonight I knew I wasn't going to have that much down time because Benjirou was coming home from a long mission in the human world.

Benjirou was an exception to the Iwamura rule. He was the same in public as he was at home: kind, gentle, funny and loud. There was never a time I could recount him being any different, and this made my parents angry. Since Benjirou is the oldest child, they wanted to completely mold him and shape him into the perfect soul reaper. They did succeed at making him successful, well-known and to have a hidden ambition of striving to be perfect not better, but they didn't succeed in having him develop an ambiguous and dual personality. I respect him for that.

Luckily, Benjirou was already home before I got there, so I didn't have to do any chores. Tatsu, the live-in maid, was on vacation, so I, the youngest and female, would do a large portion of the chores. I smelled the chef making soup and I smelled shrimp and crab simmering. My eyes widened when I went into the family dining room. Up on the table there was an abundance of different foods. It looked delicious. I heard my mother crying happily and kissing Benjirou, who was getting antsy because he hates being treated like a baby. Yep, he hasn't changed a bit. When he came into the family dining room he paused for a minute but then charged at me. I ran to him, and we both hugged each other.

"It's good to see you again, Keiko-san!" he said, squeezing me tightly. I smiled.

"I'm happy you're back." I said softly. I was happy to see that he was the same brown-haired-and-eyed, tall, muscular and handsome man that I knew three months ago. After our happy reunion we sat together at the table. My parents and Ageha then strutted in and joined us at the table. While we were eating, my parents were talking to Benjirou while Ageha and I sat in silence. Well, Ageha's always quiet.

Ageha was another person that was an exception to the rule. She was also the same in and out of public, and father and mother had a difficult time with molding her. They wanted her to be a soul reaper as well, but she decided to be a medic in her junior year at the academy. I figured she wanted to be different, I guess.

But the oddest thing that set her different from the rest of us was that she secretly detested humans. In our family, humans were just a normal part of life that we should respect, but Ageha felt the exact opposite. She had such a hatred for them that I would hear her talk to her friends about how to eradicate the human race. I think the fame of our clan has sent her on a downward spiral. I honestly think that she doesn't even know what to do with herself.

The green-eyed, long-haired girl quietly ate her rice, grain by grain. While my parents were trying to carry on a conversation about the human world, I watched her grimace and growl under her breath. I tried to get her to calm down, but she was going on a rampage.

"Ageha, what's wrong?" I asked. She didn't respond to my question. She never does. I think she even hates me sometimes.

"Ageha, are

"Ageha, are you ok?" Benjirou asked. She looked at him.

"I honestly don't get why you go out of your way for those monsters." She spat, her eyes bulging in detest. Her whole body had an aura of disgust.

"Ageha, I go out of my way not only because it's my job or because there needs to be a lower rate of hollows. I do it because I care."

"There's no reason to care, they don't care about us!"

"You're being irrational. The average human can't even see us! You've been hanging around Byakuya too long. Maybe that's why you're so anti-human." This infuriated her.

"Hey, Byakuya wants to marry me! I'm quite happy with him, and when I finally marry him, I can do whatever the hell I want because I'm tired of living in this hellhole." My mother perked up. This was going to become very ugly very quickly. Ageha and mother don't get along at all; never had and probably never will.

"Excuse me; you know how your father and I feel about that sort of language being used in this house." She yelled.

"Well I don't give a rat's ass! I'm a grown woman! You still treat me like I'm Keiko's age!" Mother stood up at the table. Her hands were together in a fixed manner. She was threatening to perform a kido spell on Ageha.

"I'm tired of your attitude. I want you to get out, or I'll force you to get out. Pack some things for a week, and go somewhere. Whether it's to Byakuya's house, Momo's house or whoever you want to go to, I don't care. I can't take your abuse anymore. Get out." Ageha didn't budge. She smiled at her cruelly.

"I don't want to leave just yet, and I'm not going to."

"Then you leave me no choice. Hado number one: Sho." Suddenly Ageha was roughly pushed out of her chair and onto the floor. My mother kept performing the spell until Ageha was a crying mess and was lying by the door. All the while, my father, Benjirou and I sat in complete silence.

"Now get out, or I'll have to push you out." My mother said harshly. Ageha sobbed. This was the first time I ever saw her show any emotion.

"Why do you hate me so much?" she sobbed, looking at my mother.

"Get out." Ageha got up and walked upstairs to get some things. Five minutes later she walked out of the door, not even bothering to say goodbye. My mother came back to the table, and sat beside my father again. He cleared his throat.

"Well now that that's settled, how was your day, Keiko?" he asked, forgetting about what happened before. I was scared to answer.

"It went very well father. As you very well know, Selection Day is coming up, and I'm excited about that. Oh, and I met Captain Arai today. She asked about you, Benjirou." Their faces lit up.

"That's great! It's good to meet captains before Selection Day." Father said with a smile.

"Yeah it's pretty cool."

"You said Kaoru asked about me, huh? I guess I'll give her a call before I go to bed." Benjirou said. He stretched and then got up.

"Well, I'm going to my room. I'll see you guys tomorrow." He said getting up from the table. I left the table without a word and sauntered up to my room to get ready for bed.


	3. Chapter III: Apprenticeship

Chapter III: Apprenticeship

Today was the day I've been waiting and for and dreading since freshman year, a day that will put my luck to the test: Selection Day. The senior class all lined up by last name in the courtyard side by side, and the fourteen captains stood in front of us. As we stood there, one by one the captains chose someone, and by the time we got to five, most of the students were already picked. I was hoping that my luck with captains five through fourteen would be better. I was wrong. When it was Captain Arai's turn to pick, there were only fifteen people, including me, that were left. Even Kenzu was chosen! She sashayed up the line, inspecting each and every person; she even took a few people. Finally, when there were thirteen people left, including me, she had to pick two more. She stopped in front of me and smiled.

"Hello, kid. It's good to see you again," she said. I bowed.

"It's good to see you again as well, Captain." I replied. She chuckled and then walked past me towards Mizu. She looked at Mizu a bit and then chose her and some other girl. When the selection was over the rest of us _un_-chosen few were told to go home. I was totally afraid of telling my father I wasn't picked. He'll kill me.

I silently walked into the house and slowly headed for the stairs, making sure not to make any sounds. Suddenly, as I approached the first step, my father appeared before me out of nowhere. I stopped in utter fright.

"In the meeting room. Now!" He growled. I nodded and scurried over to the meeting area.

The meeting area was a place where the family would meet to discuss things or to be scolded for something, which was probably my reason for being told to go there. This large room with a huge window facing off the cliff and into the Seireitei had four chairs facing a fifth one, the seat my father sits in. Today, since Ageha was not present, it was only the three of us that were here sat facing father's chair. I sat down in between mother and Benjirou and clasped my hands in my lap. Father trudged in silently and sat down to face us. He cleared his throat and positioned himself to speak. I knew what was coming next.

Punishment was handled seriously and nontraditionally in my family. When one is to be scolded, it's the father's job to reprimand you in front of the rest of the family. Though it's very humiliating and hurtful, I guess it is a warning to the other members of the family to keep them in their place. Out of all the fathers in my family, my father had to be the harshest at this.

You see along with being a soul reaper, my father was also the head of security at the prison, so his whole life has basically been of humiliating and belittling others. By the time he had children, he was a pro at it.

I sighed as he sat there in silence. This was usually the first step before the lecture. He always tries to play it cool and make it seem as if he were going to remain calm and collected throughout the whole time period, but it ends up being the complete opposite.

"So I heard today was Selection Day. How did that go?" He sighed, taking a sip of tea. I gulped, and Benjirou and mother sat quietly.

"Well, it's a nice ceremony." I responded. He shook his head.

"I take it that you didn't get chosen." I nodded in response. He rolled his eyes and took another sip before sitting up all the way in the chair. Now here's where the real embarrassment begins.

"Out of all the of the Iwamura clan that has attended the academy, _you _are the only one that hasn't been selected. Why weren't you?" He asked.

"Father, how am I supposed to know?" I responded. He growled.

"You… are a disgrace. You probably weren't chosen because you're probably horrible at sparring and kido. I heard that you didn't even obtain an asauchi yet! That's awful!" He spat. I just wanted to cry as I watched the rest of my family not even defend me. They sat there with blank faces and closed mouths.

"It's a crime not to be like the rest of the family? Are you trying to breed robots here? I am who I am, and if I can't manage to do as well as the typical Iwamura, so be it, but I am _not _going to be who you want me to be. I'm tired of being shaped and molded." I cried. The tears were forming.

"Oh please! You think you would last one day out in the world without a zanpakuto? The rest of us can't even step out in public without ours! You may not have been chosen, but I will make you a soul reaper." He said. I began to cry. "Get out of my sight. I don't want to see you right now. Benjirou, you leave too. I just want to have a word with your mother right now." I ran out of the meeting room and up to my room.

I slammed the door behind me, and I just sobbed on my bed. I felt like such a failure, like I didn't deserve to be in this family. I tried so hard to become a soul reaper and just to get chosen in general. I just can't do anything right. Suddenly, as I was crying there was a rhythmic tapping on my door. It was Benjirou. We always knock on each other doors that way. That's our little secret.

"Come in." I cried. Benjirou, who was now clothed in his soul reaper clothing, stepped in and closed the door. He sat beside me on the bed and gave me a box of tissues.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that downstairs." He said, hugging me tightly. "He can be really cruel at times. I've always wondered what has made him that way." He added. I took his arm from around me and huffed angrily.

"It's because he's old and miserable and…and he doesn't care about anything but status. He thinks that everyone's going to tease him because I wasn't chosen." I spat. He laughed.

"You're right actually. He's afraid of not being the best at everything. You know that. Grandpa's the same way. To a certain extent, _every _Iwamura is like that. Even I feel that way about some things deep down, Ageha too. By the way, I saw her yesterday, and she was with Byakuya again for like the tenth time this week, I guess she's shacked up with him. I sure as hell miss her."

"I beg to differ." He gave me a confused look.

"Why? Dad told me that the two of you get along." He responded.

"No, not at all. Ageha and I have never gotten along. I think ever since I was born she has just been so cruel to me. Whenever I ask her questions, she never answers. When I try to be nice to her, she lashes out at me and calls me a pestering rat! Of course we don't get along!" Benjirou shook his head.

"Well, she's been through and seen a lot I guess. Hey, why don't we go for a walk and get some sweet ice later? We can talk more then." He suggested, wiping my tear-stained face. I smiled a little.

"Sure. That sounds good." Suddenly the doorbell rang. Benjirou hopped up from the bed.

"I'll get that!" He yelled from upstairs. Father yelled back, and Benjirou rushed down to open the door. Out of curiosity, I cracked my door and looked out downstairs. I saw him hugging some girl, and he led her to towards the meeting room. As she left I noticed who it was.

_Hmm. Why is Captain Arai here? _I pondered. I slowly went downstairs and went to the wall beside the room to listen to their conversation.

"It's great to have you here, Captain Arai. Please make yourself comfortable." My father chimed. He's so phony. She giggled.

"Thank you, but I'm only here for a certain time, Mr. Iwamura. " She replied sweetly.

"So what brings you here?"

"Well, as you well know today was Selection Day. I saw your daughter, and I did not choose her nor did any of the other thirteen captains. However, I have decided to make her my apprentice." I was shocked. Me, be the apprentice of Captain Arai? That's unbelievable.

"Now Captain, you're a very smart woman. How would you ever manage to teach Keiko anything if she doesn't have a zanpakuto?" My father asked curtly.

"I think I can teach her a thing or two. When I first started I was horrible, but with the correct training and time I became one of the up-and-coming greatest. I think I can make her a soul reaper. It's just going to take some time and hard work. You see, I'm not going to teach her by the book. I take a different approach when it comes to training. So what do you say, Mr. Iwamura?" She asked. I hope he agrees.

He sighed in protest but then lightened up.

"I grant you my permission to train my daughter. I will even pay you for her lodging and meals and-"

"No worries," she began, "I can take care of the particulars. All I need you to do is make sure that she has packed some things. I live far away from here, so she won't be able to come back every day for clothes and such. I'll send a rickshaw over to send her over." There was minimal silence.

"Well, it was nice seeing you." My father said. "Keiko you can come out from behind the wall. We knew you were here the whole time." Oh darn it. I must have a large amount of spirit energy and he noticed it. I sheepishly walked around, and I bowed to the captain.

"I expect you to be ready for the rickshaw at nine in the morning. We have a lot to go over tomorrow. See you then." We bowed at each other, and the captain signaled to the rest of my family that she was leaving. Benjirou walked her out, leaving me speechless with my parents. I smiled and then walked back to my room. Maybe I'm not so unlucky.


	4. Chapter IV: The Beginning

Chapter IV: The Beginning of a Beautiful Disaster

That night I could hardly sleep. All the excitement and anticipation of becoming Captain Arai's apprentice kept me lying awake in bed. I kept staring at the clock to check the time, and it was only five in the morning. I wouldn't be getting up for another two hours! My bags were already packed. All I needed to do was take a bath and get dressed. Ugh I forgot, mother's picking my outfit out! As I fantasized about the hours ahead of me, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

My alarm clock rang, and I sprang out of bed. It was seven in the morning, and I was ready for action. I skipped downstairs and outside to the bathhouse to take a long, relaxing bath. After I got out of the water, a servant instructed me to head over to my mother's dressing room.

In the Iwamura tradition, every woman that marries into the family receives her own dressing room as a wedding present. Her dressing room, where she only had her kimono stored, was large and ornate. It had light blue walls, and the closets were painted with black lacquer. She was standing before me, holding a nice purple, floral kimono. I was already in my undergarments and tabi, and my hair was in a neat bun and decorated with ornaments. After the kimono was put on, Mother tied a gold obi around me and instructed me to go look in the mirror. I slowly approached the looking glass, apprehensive about how I looked. I always lacked confidence. I stepped up to the mirror and looked at myself. She was grinning from ear-to-ear as I spun around trying to see what I liked about my appearance. When she saw my look of uncertainty her smile faded.

"Oh what's wrong? You don't like it?" She asked. Of course I liked it… just not on me.

"It's fine mother. Thank you." I responded, stepping away from the glass and slipping on the sandals. I bowed to my mother and then walked out to the main room.

My bags were in front of the door, and Benjirou and Father were just standing around, waiting for the rickshaw to show up. It was eight fifty now, and I was getting excited yet nervous. I never have lived away from my family. Five minutes later, the doorbell rang, and my father opened it to reveal the rickshaw man. He didn't bother to speak he just gather my things and took them to the rickshaw. My family stood before me. I felt sad. Benjirou approached me first.

"I wish you all the best. You're going to make us proud." He gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I wanted to cry, but I held the tears in for the sake of staying strong. Mother then came over to hug and kiss me, reminding me to maintain my ladylike qualities (as if that had anything to do with being an apprentice) and to either write or call but definitely visit. Finally, I had to face my father. His arms were crossed on his middle, and his face was contorted into that cold, indifferent stare that is normally plastered on his face. I grimaced at the thought of him yelling at me again.

"Keiko," he began brusquely. Kami, please don't kill me. "I want to see you as a soul reaper by the time I see you again. I want you to maintain the honor that this family has. You better make yourself great one day." I smiled. I guess that wasn't too bad. He has the right idea, just the wrong way of going about it.

We bowed to each other. We never hugged. Even when I was leaving each day to go to the academy we wouldn't hug. He just wasn't fatherly.

I picked up my purse and then waved to the rest of my family. After that, I stepped out of the door and prepared to go into the next: apprenticeship.

The whole rickshaw ride I felt sick. I didn't know if it was motion-sickness, anxiety or both, but my stomach was totally gurgling and churning. I wanted to vomit. The driver asked me several times if I needed to stop somewhere to sooth my stomach, but I assured him that I would feel better when I got to the captain's house.

The Captain's humble abode was definitely no house, it was a mansion! Though modernized, it had some elements of the tradition Japanese mansion, but in many ways it was like a dojo or a temple, having several flights of stairs to get to the actual building. The driver stopped and put my stuff out in front of the first step. I gulped. Then I saw him returning to the cart. I had to stop him. I can't do all the steps alone with all that stuff!

"Sir, aren't you going to help me up these steps with these things?" I asked politely but nervously, hoping that his answer would be favourable. He chuckled and shook his head in disagreement.

"I'm not allowed to. Captain Arai said that you should find a way to get yourself and all of your belongings up these steps because it's to help 'build your strength and endurance', she said. She also told me that she is only giving you fifteen minutes to get up there, which starts on the first step. I wish you luck." He said, running off with the cart. I blew air out of my mouth and thought of a way to get all of my bags. I had at least six, large bags to carry, and I was trying to figure out if I carry three in each hand, two on each arm and one in each hand or what. I had to think a solution soon. Finally, I decided to go with carrying two on each arm and one in each hand. When I lifted the bags and got comfortable with the heavy luggage I decided to start walking.

The stairs were harder than I thought; _MUCH _harder. By the time I got to the landing of the second story out of about five or six, I was a sweating mess. My hair was loosening, my kimono was drooping with sweat, and I was all hot, sticky and fatigued. Ugh I need another bath.

"There's gotta be a better way." I huffed to myself.

Suddenly, I realized I only had less than ten minutes left. I had to think and work fast. I decided to run one flight and then walk one to expedite the process. Luckily I got through one flight running in less than a minute, and then I slowly walked the next. Then I got to the last flight and ran up them but when I got to the landing I collapsed. I just laid there for a few minutes until I felt two taps on my head. I looked up to see two women in plain kimono look down on me.

"Hello, do you need any help with any bags and such?" They asked simultaneously. Yeah, now you want to help me after I have the bulk of the hard work done.

I slowly got up with the bags.

"No, thank you. I got this. Just show me where my room is." I responded. The two women walked me into the palace. The interior of the mansion was gorgeous. The walls were a beautiful mulberry accented with golden cherry blossoms, and the floors were covered with the most expensive-looking marble. The furniture was very modernized and looked as if it were inspired by humanesque décor and furnishings. The mansion as a whole was amazing.

I took off my shoes and followed the two women upstairs, and they showed me to my room, which was one of the five guest rooms of the place. I bowed in appreciation and walked into the room. I could totally stay here for the rest of my life. The room was large, larger than my room at home, and the size of the bed and amount of closet space were immense. I put my bags down and plopped down onto the bed. Ah, it felt heavenly. Suddenly, there was a loud ring, and it made me alert. I looked around to see where the noise was coming from, and it was from the phone on the desk. I ran over to it.

"Arai residence." I answered sheepishly. The voice on the other end started laughing.

"Honey, you don't have to say that it's me; Kaoru! Whenever your phone rings, it's usually because someone else in the house is trying to give you a buzz from there end. It's pretty useful because this house is so damn big. Anyway, I would like for you to freshen up a bit, if need be, and then come out into the garden in the back to meet me." She said, hanging up the phone. She sounds different from the way I'm used to her sounding. I fixed my hair and kimono and then went downstairs to meet her.

The garden was just as beautiful as the rest of the house. It had the prettiest flowers arranged in sophisticated patterns and a pathway leading to a pagoda. There, in the pagoda, sat Captain Arai, still clothed in her sleep robes and her hair down, in front of a man. Oh, that's terrible! You're never supposed to see a man in your sleep robes! I approached the pagoda slowly and the two of them noticed me. Kaoru's face lit up.

"Hey, kid, come here!" She shouted giddily. I quickened my pace, and walked up the steps. The man she was sitting with looked very familiar. He had black, spiky hair and an eye patch over his right eye, but most importantly, he had a white Captain's robe on. I sat down beside Captain Arai and stayed silent. She laughed. "You can speak, you know." She said. I nodded.

"Hello, Captain. My name is Keiko Iwamura." He chuckled.

"Are you related to that Kenzu kid?" he asked in a deep and husky voice.

"Yes, I am." I responded, overlooking my saddened tone. He laughed.

"Yeah, lucky you. I chose the kid, and he's truly a catch. He's going to be a great soul reaper, but he's so goddamn annoying that you want to beat his ass. I know your father, Hiro Iwamura. He was a kick ass soul reaper." Wow, they sure do use strong language!

"Yeah, I've heard." Captain Arai said, taking out two cigarettes. She put one in the man's mouth and lit it, doing the same to herself. How unladylike! Women aren't supposed to smoke!

"Thanks, babe." He responded, taking a puff of the object. She winked.

"You're welcome, Kenpachi." Oh I should have known! He's Kenpachi Zaraki? He's so cool! "So Keiko, how were the stairs?" she asked mischievously. I rolled my eyes.

"Terrible, especially since I didn't have any help. " She giggled.

"I knew you would have said that. At least you got here in fifteen minutes. I commend you. " Captain Zaraki then looked over at me.

"Hey, Kaoru, why is she here anyway?" he asked. She took a puff."

"She's gonna be my apprentice." She smiled, putting her arm around me. Her breath smelled of tobacco and mitarashi dango.

"Ah, I see. You're learning from the best, you know." He said, rubbing her hand sweetly. She blushed and hit him.

"Oh shucks. Thank you, you're so sweet." She said with a giggle. I smiled. Suddenly he got up from the table and stretched. "I gotta go, sis, I'll see you at the Captain's meeting this week." He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Maybe I'll see you before then. Goodbye, hon." She said. He waved to me and then sauntered off. She then turned towards me.

"You guys seem very close." I said. She nodded.

"He's like a big brother to me. He actually taught me some things." She said. "Well, today we have a lot to talk about, so I want you to go bathe and meet me in my office on the first floor. I have to go over some particulars." She showed me where the bathhouse was, and then I went to take a nice, long relaxing bath.


	5. Chapter V: Errands

Chapter V: Errands

Captain Arai's office was very large and quite unorganized. There were piles of papers stacked by the bookshelf, and there were trinkets all over the room. On the large windowsill, there were odd knickknacks, probably from the human world, that were lined up unevenly. When I first met this woman, I didn't even imagine that she could be disorganized.

She sat before me in a cushioned rolling chair. She actually changed out of her sleep robes and into a pants and a shirt. She quickly wrote something down on a piece of paper and then placed it to her side. She yawned and then cleared her throat.

"Ok, now that you're settled in it's time for me to go over some things with you. For starters, you don't have to call me Captain Arai anymore; just call me Kaoru. However, when we're in public, like at an important event, call me Captain Arai. Secondly, one thing that will piss me off to no end is when someone questions what I tell them to do. If I give you an order, you do it. When I ask you to do something, I want it done on time and with great care. Today, I need for you to run a note to someone because I need to meet this person and discuss a few things with her." She said, handing me the note she recently scribbled. I gave her a confused look.

"Well, who am I supposed to give it to anyway?" I asked. She chuckled.

"Just open the note, duh." She replied curtly but jokingly. I opened up the letter, and on top was the address. Ok, so I'm supposed to give this letter to Nanao Ise. Wait, who's Nanao Ise?

I nodded, and Kaoru gave me a map.

"Here," She said. "Take this in case you get lost. I know you don't know your way around the Soul Society just yet, but trust me, you'll find a way. Oh, by the way, speaking of ways, you're not allowed to take a rickshaw. You can walk, run or take a bicycle. If I even hear that you were even inquiring about riding one, you're gonna have hell to pay. Now go deliver the letter. You have until dinner time to do so." She fanned me away, and I scurried off to go deliver the memo.

I ran down the numerous flights of stairs, and at the bottom there was a bicycle just waiting for me to hop on it. I quickly hopped on, thanking Kami that I was wearing pants, and pedaled off. As I was riding down the long street, I looked at the map to see where I needed to turn.

Here's where the real problem began. I was actually getting there, and then suddenly I ended up at some nursing home. Ugh, I need to get there and fast!

Finally, after five minutes of just pedaling around, I finally found the place. I gave a sigh of relief and waltzed up to the door, being sure to knock. A few minutes later the door slid open to reveal a man in a… pink kimono? And it was floral. Why is he wearing a woman's kimono?

Despite the gender confusion of his outerwear, he wore the standard shihakusho, and under the pink kimono I saw a glimpse of his white captain's robe. He had beautiful, tan skin and clean-cut facial hair. His hair was neatly tied back and veiled by a straw hat. The captain eyed me strangely, as if he were attracted to me.

"Hello, young lady," he started with a husky tone, "what brings you here?" My, he even sounds as good as he looks, but I'm not here to flirt. I'm just here to deliver this message to Nanao and leave.

"Hello, Captain," I said with a bow. "I am here to deliver a message to Miss Nanao Ise from Captain Arai." I said in the best way possible. He smiled widely, and his eyes lit up.

"Well, Nanao, my lieutenant, is currently out and about; however I will relay the message." I thanked him and began to walk off, but then I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Captain Arai, you say?" I turned to him.

"Yes, I am her apprentice, Keiko Iwamura." He looked at me.

"Do you have a sister named Ageha?" He asked. I nodded. It's funny how much of an identity I don't have compared to the rest of my relatives. Even Kenzu is well known! The Captain smiled again and held his hand out calmly. I gave him a suspicious look. "You come from a _great family_! Well, before you came I was making a wonderful pot of green tea, not powdered, and some gyoza, and I was wondering if you would care to join me. Oh and I'm Captain Kyoraku by the way." I wanted to, I really did, but I needed to get back to Kaoru.

"Well, I would love to, Captain; however I must get back to my Captain." I began to walk away, but he maintained his grip on my hand. His grip was so strong that I couldn't even budge.

"Kaoru and I are chums, she wouldn't mind if you stayed and talked to me for a spell. I insist." He crooned with a wink and smile. Kami, his smile is so infectious and beautiful that I couldn't refuse his offer.

"Alright, but I can't stay long." I said. He chuckled and then pulled me into the house.

This house was not as ornate or lavish as Kaoru's estate; however it was very simplistic and neat. Surrounded by white walls, it had a quaint and homey layout, and the furniture was very traditional. The smell of green tea and soy sauce permeated through the main room. The aroma was inviting and intoxicating.

The Captain brought me to the small dining table, and I sat down on the cushion. He let go of my hand and then went into the kitchen to get the gyoza and tea. He came back with the food and placed it down. He handed me a cup filled with tea and then sat beside me. I thanked him and then plated some gyoza for myself. I opened a pair of chopsticks and began to eat.

"So how are you doing as far as becoming a soul reaper goes?" He asked. I wanted to lie, but I'd feel bad if I did.

"Not so good. I wasn't selected yesterday." I said. He nodded his head.

"You must be under a lot of pressure, especially from being a part of the family you're in. Just keep in mind that not everyone learns or progresses in the same fashion. You'll be great. I can sense it." He commented, taking a sip of his tea. I smiled.

"Thank you. I hope I'll become a great soul reaper." We continued to converse about my family, and Captain Kyoraku told detailed anecdotes about how he and my parents used to go to parties and on missions together. He also told me about what his career was like prior to becoming captain. Suddenly, as he was telling me a funny story, I laughed so hard that I dropped a gyoza covered in soy sauce on my shorts. He stopped and then rushed to get a damp cloth. He came back with it and was about to wipe my stain but I stopped him.

"It's ok, I'll wipe it off myself." I assured him. He moved his hand.

"No. I insist," He said with a smile. Ugh, that smile again! I can't say no! He began to wipe gingerly at the stain, causing me to feel a little uncomfortable. Though I knew he was coming from a place of utmost sincerity, in the back of my mind I sensed that there was some sexual innuendo that was hidden behind his rubbing. All of a sudden I felt his hand slowly whip across my thigh. I sighed but then realized what was going on. He was trying to seduce me.

"Stop," I gasped with a blush. He laughed.

"I'm sorry. I just missed a spot, and I had to wipe it off." I then got up from the table and then walked over by the front door to get my sandals. He gave me a confused look.

"I thank you for the food and drink, Captain, but I must be on my merry way. I have to get back to Captain Arai." I said with a bow. Before he could even speak I was out of the door and almost to my bike.

I pedaled frantically through the now crowded streets. Darn it, I'm an hour late as is, and now these people who are in the way aren't helping the situation either. When I finally got onto less crowded streets, I thanked Kami and prayed for even more smooth sailing.

When I got back to the mansion, the stairs weren't even an issue. My fear of Kaoru and my determination fueled me to run up the stairs in less than three minutes. I rushed inside and threw my shoes off, and then slowly walked down the hallway to her office.

I noticed that the door was closed, and before I knocked I heard her yelling at someone.

"Listen, bitch. I didn't write any nasty poetry about you and send it in to be published in the _Seireitei Communication_! You're looking at it right now? Honey I wasn't talking about you! That column contains poetry about somebody I used to go to the academy with…yes I know that we went to academy together, but why the hell would I write anything nasty about you? Yes, I may hate you, and yes I may want to kick your ass in front of everyone, but writing something in a magazine would ruin my reputation. And even if I _did _write it I wouldn't put your name on it… Go ahead and write something shitty about me, Soi Fon. Even if it gets some people to hate me, please be aware of the fact that all the men will still want me and flock to me, and all the men will still not want you and flock to you because you're a bitch… ok well we'll finish this later at the next S.W.A. meeting. Goodbye!" She hung up the phone with a loud click. She huffed loudly. "Of course I wrote that about her! I hate that bitch. 'I'm gonna write something horrid about you,' get the fuck outta here!" She grumbled. Now that I just heard that argument, I was hesitant to knock on the door. However, I used all my courage to do so. I knocked three times. "Come in, Keiko." She said a little calmer. Maybe she isn't mad at me. Well, hopefully she isn't.


	6. Chapter vi: The Ramen Stand

**A/N: Just to forewarn you, there is some poetry I have created to purposefully be horrible. Please don't say anything horrible about it because I wasn't even trying. Thank you and enjoy.**

**Smooches**

**~Momo**

Chapter VI: The Ramen Stand

I walked into the room cautiously being prudent of not saying or doing anything stupid. I sat in front of her desk and tried to relax myself. She blinked her eyes and then looked up at me.

"You gave Nanao the note, right?" She asked. I gulped.

"She wasn't available at the time, so I gave the letter to her captain." She gave me a suspicious look.

"Ok, then why did it take you so long to get back?" Now she was starting to get angry. Her fingernails danced upon the hard surface of the table.

"Well, Captain Kyoraku insisted on me staying a while and having some tea and dumplings with him. He also said that he knew that you would be fine with it." Her eyes widened, and then she busted into laughter. I was confused by this action.

"He honestly tried that tea and dumpling line with you. I'm happy you didn't stay long enough because then he would be asking you to drink sake with him. I would _never _trust you in Shunsui's care at your age, especially without Nanao being there. That man is a womanizer. He's tried that shit with me numerous times, and he still does it." She said, lighting up another cigarette. I could tell that me spending time with him worked her up even more. She was already aggravated by Soi Fon's phone call.

"Well he did try to touch me." I responded meekly. She rolled her eyes.

"On your thigh, right? Been there done that honey. Listen, if he ever tries that shit again just let me know, ok?" I shook my head in obedience.

"Hey don't get me wrong, but why were you yelling at Soi Fon earlier?" I asked innocently. She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"That bitch is gonna make me do a three-sixty on her ass. Ok, there's a magazine that we all write articles for and do stuff for called the _Seireitei Communication_. I happened to write a collection of short poems, most of those haiku, called _The Bludgeoning of the Black Haired Female Dog _during my academy days. It _is_ indeed about Soi Fon, no doubt about it, but I lied and told her it wasn't about her just to save my ass. Here I'll let you read the article in the magazine for yourself."

She handed me the latest issue and flipped to the page. She had written the compilation with a pseudonym, Kourai, blending her first and last name, and the synopsis of the compilation pointed out that it is "a bunch of satirical tales about a girl who she wants to fight in the academy". The first, a haiku entitled _Courtyard Crush_, went like this:

School is out at three

The black haired dog is waiting

I will beat her down.

Oh, if you think that's a winner, it gets better. There was another poem called _My Lover _that sounded more like a letter to herself:

My lover walks beneath the moon,

Beckoning the sun to shine light on his desolate situation.

The woman he is attached to now has done nothing,

Said nothing nor has given something

To uplift him.

His spirit cries to run free,

Cries for the hope of a new beginning in lieu

Of loving a creature incapable of reciprocating.

The Black-haired demon stands behind him, but the brunette

Splendor goads him, entices him to follow her into the sun, casting away

The sixty-nine shadows of the creature and gaining sixty-nine joys from the Splendor.

I actually thought that one was quite heartfelt and pretty, but the third and final one was an atrocity. It's actually untitled.

When you see me at the club

Everybody shows me love.

S.F. is lookin' really smug

I want to beat her like a rug.

So her face looks like a pug

Bam, bam

Hit her like a ram.

Now she better show me love

When she sees me at the club.

Ta Da. ~Kourai

I wanted to hurt myself. That was the worst poem I have ever read in my entire life. I just think that she wanted to be silly, so she just put that one in just to anger Soi Fon.

"Interesting," I said, making sure not to show her my face of embarrassment. I wonder how that was even published.

"Real snazzy, right? I'm telling you, everyone's gonna write in and be like, 'we want more of the Kourai person,' or 'she definitely needs to get more work published.' Everyone will love this." She gloated. Yeah, more like people will be saying, "Please stick to your day job." Suddenly Kaoru thought of an idea.

"Hey, let's go get some ramen for dinner; my treat. It'll be a celebration of my impending success as a freelance writer!" Yeah, more like impending failure.

"Sure, sounds good to me." I said. I went to go change my clothes to prepare for dinner.

Tonight the stars were shining brightly, and there was a cool breezes blowing through the streets. Kaoru and I walked up to a large restaurant, and she slid the door open, revealing hundreds of soul reapers. We breezed by several people until we got to this special VIP section. After the security guard let us in, we entered a room with a private kitchen, lieutenants, captains and other top-ranked soul reapers. She saw someone she knew and pulled me over to sit with her.

The woman had long, blonde hair and pale skin. Her most noticeable feature was her large, ample and round…breasts. I don't want to sound like a lesbian, but they were hard to avoid.

"Hey, Rangiku!" Kaoru said, the duo kissing each other on both cheeks and hugging.

"Kaoru! It's good to see ya! I've been dying to have a few drinks with you and Shuuhei, but I just didn't have the time."She said, sitting down at the table.

"Or willpower to spend money." Kaoru jested, "By the way Rangiku, this is my apprentice Keiko Iwamura. Keiko, this is Rangiku Matsumoto, lieutenant of the tenth squad and my best friend since childhood." We shook hands, and Rangiku eyed me with interest as I sat beside Kaoru at the table.

"You're Ageha and Benjirou's sister, right?" Ugh, everyone keeps asking me about my relatives!

"Yes." I responded. She nodded.

"I see her a lot lately. I think she's engaged to Byakuya Kuchiki now, if I'm not mistaken." My eyes became wide. I knew that she wanted to marry him, but I didn't know that she would be engaged to him, especially when she didn't get permission from father.

"I didn't know that," I responded. I'm shocked.

"Well, that's what I heard from his Lieutenant." Kaoru sucked her teeth and motioned for the waiter to come over.

"Don't even mention Renji. He still owes me my money from when he needed to buy a pair of those damn shades. I don't get why he wants a pair so bad if he can't even afford them. Hey, can I get a bottle of your finest sake and two miso ramen? Thank you. What do you want, Keiko?" I perused the menu and decided on shoyu ramen. The waiter wrote all this down while Rangiku was telling him her order, and then he dashed off to place it. Kaoru then looked around and got closer to Rangiku.

"You know that Soi Fon called me today about my article." She said with low volume. Rangiku looked at her.

"That's no surprise. You two would probably kill each other there were no rules attached." She responded in the same volume. The man came back with some gyoza and the bottle of sake with a few cups. Rangiku poured some into a cup. "Here, Kaoru, have a drink you look like you need it." She passed her the cup.

"Thank you, hon." she replied, taking a large sip. She motioned for me to pour myself some but I refused.

"Thank you, but I don't drink." Kaoru laughed.

"You're totally an Iwamura. They see liquor and go the other way. You don't even want a sip just to loosen you up?" Kaoru asked, looking at someone for far away. Before I could even respond her attention was on someone else. "Ay, Shuuhei, over here!" she yelled over the loud collective voice of the other people around us. I saw the distant figure stop in his tracks and move toward us. He pulled up a chair to the table, and he was… _handsome_! He had black, ruffled hair, and dark eyes. His body was well-shaped and muscular, and his face was very masculine. Though he had a scratch over his right in and a band going across his nose, he had an intriguing tattoo of the number sixty-nine under it. He smiled at the two women and poured himself a cup of sake. This guy definitely wastes no time.

"What's up, ladies? Seems to be a full house here, huh?" he said, taking a swing. Kaoru laughed coyly.

"So, it seems as if Lieu. Hisagi is loosening up a bit. You're not so uptight tonight." She said in an oddly flirtatious tone. He took a gyoza from the center of the table and gave her a provocative look.

"Hey, we all need a break don't we, Rangiku?" He said, trying to incorporate her into the conversation. Suddenly Shuuhei looked at me in surprise. "Oh, I apologize, and who must this lovely, young lady be?" he asked, his grin wide and pearly. I blushed slightly.

"My name's Keiko Iwamura, and I'm Captain Arai's apprentice." I said. The waiter brought us our ramen and placed it in front of us. Shuuhei smiled in gratitude at Kaoru.

"So you're Hiro's kid? You _definitely _have success written all over your face. Your family's name, it's an omen. Be proud." He said. That was actually the first time I didn't get angry about someone mentioning my family. He broke apart his chopsticks and began to eat. The rest of us followed suit.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." I replied while slurping up some noodles.

After about five minutes, the sake bottle was completely empty, and Kaoru's eyes were glassed over and lowered. The two women, now starkly drunk, were laughing loudly and speaking in slurred speech. Shuuhei, who was slightly tipsy, exchanged looks with me.

"Oh Kami, I need another drink." Kaoru laughed. She was trying to signal the waiter, but I put her hand down. She growled at me. "What the fuck izzz yur problem? You're such a prude, Keiko! Li-lighten upppp." I shook my head at her. She gets a pass; she's drunk.

Rangiku laughed, and took another sip out of her cup.

"Hey, at least I'm not as bad as Soi Fon," I said, trying to get the attention off of me. I didn't want Kaoru cursing me out. Kaoru's face lit up with drunken madness.

"That bitch! Shuuhei, did you tell her that I wrote about her in the column? If you did I'm going to beat yur ass." She hiccupped.

"No, I didn't tell her, but it's kind of obvious when someone writes 'black-haired bitch', and that's what you call them in real life." He responded. Rangiku cackled at this.

"Ha ha, that was quite bright of you, hon." She cackled, stopping herself when she realized she was about to burp.

"Shut the hell up, Rangiku. Listen that hussy is pissin' me off. Her and that fat-ass lieutenant of hers can kick rocks. One day he told me that I was trash, and I didn't deserve to be captain. And I told him that he can kiss my ass cuz he doesn't deserve to eat rice cakes all the damn time! I'm so ready to just fight them!" She rambled. She took out some money and put it on the table. Then tried to stand, but she almost fell. Luckily I caught her before an embarrassing moment occurred. Shuuhei looked at the time.

"Listen guys, I'm going to call us a rickshaw. We should call it a night." He said, helping Kaoru up. She smiled flirtatiously.

"Yeah, _let's _call it a night, shall we?" She giggled, kissing him on the cheek. He slightly pushed her away.

"Kaoru, not tonight. It's late, and you're drunk." I heard him mumble to her. She pouted.

"You never wanna have fun with me anymore. I thought we were friends with benefits." She said.

"And I thought you were with that human man still." He spat. His feelings seemed quite hurt. She became quiet.

"He got married to some woman last month. I told you that." She responded coldly. My, there's so much going on, and I know so little of it.

When we got outside, Kaoru was standing by the wall, silently taking a smoke while Rangiku and I were conversing about random things. Shuuhei was standing on the edge of the curb, waiting for the rickshaw. When it finally arrived, we all piled in and decided to drop off Rangiku first. Then the rest of us rode in silence towards Kaoru's estate.

As the ride progressed, Kaoru was fast asleep, while Shuuhei and I were silent still. Suddenly I was curious about something and decided to ask him.

"I hope you don't take this in the wrong context, but is Kaoru always mean when she's drunk?" I asked. He chuckled.

"No. Usually she's barrels of fun, and she likes to dance and joke around, but lately, drinking hasn't been going so well with her. She used to be one of the only people I knew who could hold their liquor well, and now she can't even take a whole cup without getting loopy uncoordinated. Kaoru's been… odd lately." He sighed, looking at the sleeping girl beside him. He stroked her hair softly, and she stirred a little. "She's such a great person, Keiko, but she only shows it to certain people, and right now, she will be a little…_bitchy _because she was in love with this man that is now married. Just don't pass any harsh judgments on her. I shouldn't have said what I said earlier." I nodded looked off to the side, watching how the lanterns looked like blurry orbs of light as the rickshaw passed by.

When we finally got home, Shuuhei carried her up the steps and into the house, putting her on her bed. He looked at me and patted my back.

"Please, just keep an eye on her tomorrow. I trust you with her." He said, leaving the room. I watched him leave the estate from the window to make sure he made it back to the rickshaw safely. Maybe this apprenticeship deal entails more than what I've bargained for.


	7. Chapter VII: Lesson One: The Asauchi

Chapter VII: Lesson One: The Asauchi

I awoke to the rising of the bright sun peaking through the blinds and the sound of the morning bell tolling downstairs. There was a faint pitter-patter of feet as the maids all rushed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. I stretched, yawned and then opened the blinds to take a glimpse of the sunlight cascading over the Seireitei. I put on my robe over my sleeping gown and waltzed downstairs to bathe.  
>This morning, Kaoru was soaking away in the bath, sighing and groaning as she held her aching head for comfort. She seemed saddened by something. She took a sip of some green tea, and reclined back. As she did so, I noticed how curvaceous and voluptuous she was, and I have to say I'm quite jealous. <p>

"What the hell are you staring at?" She asked, sitting back up. I gulped nervously. 

"Oh, nothing. I blanked out." I said with a blush. She howled of laughter. 

"It's nothing my ass! You're staring at my body, and I know it. Honey, it's alright that you want what I've got! You and about ten other people do! Well, they want it in a different way than you do. Trust me, you may not have a lot, but you'll get something." She said, hopping out of the bath, letting every... ehem... asset loose. She grabbed her towel and then went into the next room to get dressed. After five minutes I left the bath to get dressed as well. 

Today I was wearing a pair of form fitting pants that Kaoru gave me called "leggings" from the human world and a light shirt. She informed me that some exercise would ensue after breakfast. At the small table we sat together, munching on rice porridge and slurping miso soup. She was drinking an odd smelling, hot substance. It didn't smell bad, it smelled strong and hearty. 

"Kaoru, whatever are you drinking?" I asked curiously. She chortled at my question. 

"Ha ha! I'm drinking coffee. That's whatever I'm drinking. It's a human drink, and I've been hooked on it for the past thirty years, but today I'm drinking it just to ease my hangover. You wanna try some?" She asked, passing the cup to me. My, she is really enthralled by the human world. I was frightened to try it, but I went with it anyway. It was delicious. It was creamy, warm and sweet, my favourite combination. I thanked her and smiled at her. After an hour of talking about everything under the sun, ranging from human foods to the weather patterns of the Soul Society, she decided that we were ready to burn off the calories and start practicing with asauchi, stating that I didn't have enough "real" training to have enough Reiryoku to create a zanpakuto.

We were standing out in the gardens. And she threw me a sheathed katana. Luckily I caught it. 

"You see, Seido Sensei never teaches much. He only teaches his 'star students' the most techniques. You, my dear, are officially done with wooden sword work. We're getting to the nitty gritty. Now that the katana out of its sheath I can show you the difference between a low-level asauchi and a zanpakuto." She said, grasping for her blade's hilt behind her back. I took out the asauchi and looked back at Kaoru to see her zanpakuto. There was no optical difference, just that the hilt of her blade was in the shape of a triangular prism, and it was bandaged with purple and turquoise ribbon. 

"I don't see the difference." I said. She chuckled. 

"There really is no optical difference. The difference can be determined through battle." She said. Suddenly, the air felt different, and I was frozen in place. Her spiritual pressure became so strong within an instant. "This is my initial spiritual pressure prior to battle. I'm just getting started." I'm shocked. How can one's spiritual pressure be so strong before battle? I mustered up all the power I could to move forward, clasping the blade in my hands. She held the zanpakuto in just her left hand.

I tried focusing my spiritual pressure into the blade, but to no avail. It wasn't working. She sheathed her zanpakuto and then got another asauchi from one of her servants. We resumed our battle stances. She laughed at mine.

"Boy, you sure do look scared," She commented. "Intimidating your opponent is a big component of sparring. Now, you standing there lookin' frightened and stuck hardly even fazes me. You need to gain more confidence." She walked over to me and fixed my posture. She walked over and gave me thumbs up. "Yeah, that'll be a whole 'nother lesson. Now, I want you to come at me like you would initially in battle." I sighed and then charged at her with all my might. She suddenly disappeared. I looked around to see where she went, but she was nowhere to be found. Then, in an instant, I felt something grab my leg. I screamed. She was under me.

"That was pathetic." She said. "You _never _charge at someone at full force from their front side. It's just plain fuckin' common sense! Why would I even be _stupid _enough to allow you to shank me from the front? That would just be a lack of focus on my part. Now we're gonna do this again, and this time you need to come at me from another angle, or I'll _kill _you." Her voice was pooling with seriousness. I was scared. Never have I ever been threatened to be killed, and trust me, it's a scary thought.

I had to act smarter. I had no choice. It was either act smart or die an imbecile. She stood there waiting for me, and then it came to me. What if I do an aerial attack? Yes, I can do that! I have enough speed to move quickly, just not as much as Kaoru, but it's worth a shot! She began to taunt me by whistling. She obviously knew I was very nervous, but oh boy am I so ready to surprise her.

I started after her from the front, but then I disappeared into thin air. She looked around to see where I went but failed to look above her head. I used this as my chance to go in. In a split second I was zooming towards her. I thought I had her for a moment, but she blocked herself with her blade. I was livid. She smiled at me.

"Great attempt, but lack of experience. We're going to keep practicing this shit until you get it, and I don't care if you get a little attitude. Again, come at me in a different way."

This method of training lasted about seven hours more until I finally grasped the concept. I was a panting and sweaty mess, and Kaoru hardly budged. She stood there as if she weren't even affected by the session.

"Are we done now?" I asked looking towards the sky as the sun began to set. She giggled.

"Yeah we are. Shuuhei is coming over tonight, so I have to prepare. What I need for you to do, however is to run an errand. I need you to go to Captain Aizen's house and ask him when the next Captain's meeting is. Trust me; he'll _know _that I'm asking it because I'm the only captain that's either late or completely forgets. You can go take a bath and relax for a minute, but then I need you to go run the errand." We both sauntered off into the bathroom, and then I decided to leave to get the errand done first in order to have more me time. You know, I'm starting to like living with Kaoru.


	8. Chapter VIII: I Saw It

Chapter VIII: I Saw It Through My Own Two Eyes

I honestly like living with Kaoru, and I'm starting to learn a lot of things from her, but I'm really starting to hate running all these errands, and I'm not even getting paid of thanked for them. Though this may be the third or fourth one, I am still starting to become tired of it.

Today, I didn't feel like riding the bike all the way to Aizen's estate (which was on the other side of the Seireitei by the way), so I decided to take a rickshaw instead. I needed a break. My legs hurt too much from all that hardcore training. The ride was rather long, but after an hour the rickshaw finally stopped. I paid the man and walked up to the door.

Now this house was different. What was supposed to be the front door looked like the back door, so I decided to go around to the front of the house. As I was walking around I saw a set of stairs without a banister that led up to a door. I walked up the stairs slowly, keeping in mind that I was very clumsy. All of a sudden as I was on middle step, I noticed a medium-sized, open window. Then things began to get odd. I heard a weird, panting noise. I sidled over to the window and crouched down, making sure I could still see inside.

What I saw was different from anything I have ever seen in all of the eighteen years of my life. There was a silver-haired man sprawled out naked on a desk with his knees resting on… _another man's arms? _This is quite different! However, the other man… was completely and utterly gorgeous! He had nice brown hair and a handsome face, but his body, his body was that of an Adonis. He had these abs of pure, solid toned muscle, and as my eyes drifted lower I- _hey _what in the world am I thinking of?

Suddenly the brown-haired beauty stepped in front of the man on the desk and began to kiss his legs. Suddenly, he thrusted his pelvis forward and I saw the silver-haired man moan and arch his back in response. The man above continuously thrusted forward, and the duo was a complete moaning and sweaty mess. I started to feel something so odd and foreign that I didn't understand it. Watching this occur made my body grow hot, and I began to have these temptations these… _urges _if you will, to do dirty things; things that I would have never dreamed of doing. I was shocked at myself for feeling such things. I felt dirty. 

Suddenly things were getting a little rough behind the window. The thrusting became faster and harder (from what I saw), and the silver-haired man's moans became louder.

"Giny (pronounced Gin-nie), keep quiet. You're going to let the whole Soul Society know what we're doing. Remember, we _have _to keep this a secret!" The brown-haired groaned.

"Fuck the Soul Society! If they hear us, they hear us! Besides, Sosuke, you like it when I'm loud." 'Giny' sighed in response. Sosuke reached between the two and began to fondle and stroke his lover. Oh my goodness, this is beginning to be too much for me. Now I'm-I'm feeling a bit soaked in my lower area, and I never felt this way before, especially from something like this.

"Oh I love it when you call me Sosuke." He sighed. Suddenly, his pace became slow yet erotic, and as I became entranced by the whole scene, I felt my body lose balance, and I fell over the stairs and onto a cat, which screeched loud enough for the duo to stop, with a loud thump. I got up quickly and ran off as fast as my feet would allow me to, making sure to be gone before they looked out of the window.

I was scared, shocked and embarrassed about what happened. While riding back to the house on a rickshaw, I kept thinking about how stupid I was watching them engage in their activities. I was supposed to be delivering a note for Kaoru, not to act like a Peeping Tom! What has gotten into me?

When I got back to the estate, I rushed up the stairs and into the house, forgetting to take my shoes off. I ran all around the first floor, frantically trying to find Kaoru, but she, nor her servants for that matter, were nowhere to be found. I then scuttled upstairs, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard another odd noise. It sounded more feminine and much louder and high-pitched than Giny's. Again, I was compelled to investigate the source of the sounds (due to my insatiable curiosity) and I decided to crawl up to the room where the noises were coming from. Luckily the door was already cracked, so it was easy for me to peek in. When I looked through the crack, I was surprised by what I saw. Kaoru was lying on her bed, her dress pushed up, and a man with black, spiky hair had his head placed between her legs. She was squirming and crying out, her face expressing pure bliss. Ugh, it's that odd feeling again.

"Shuuhei, ah, just fu-ugh-ck me already." She moaned out while grabbing his hair. He rose up from between her legs and began to strip, revealing his toned body. I was drenched. For some reason, I wanted to be in that position she was in. I wanted to be the one begging for Shuuhei to take advantage of me. I wanted him, and I wanted him now.

He stroked her legs slowly and sensually as he pulled off his hakama. He was then only clad in his underwear, and oh what a sight that was.

"You're so eager, Kao." He said in a sexy, deep tone as he slowly and teasingly started to pull down his underwear. At this point I'm just as excited about this as Kaoru was. Oh, I need a better view!

Suddenly, as I was trying to push the door slowly to see more of what was going on, I pushed too hard, and the door flew open with me landing on the floor with a loud thump. Shuuhei stopped what he was doing and looked towards me. His face went blank.

"What the hell's wrong? Oh lord, Keiko! Why are you here? I told you that you needed to run me an errand!" She yelled, quickly pushing down her dress. Shuuhei put his clothes back on.

"I'm going to leave now, Kaoru." He said, kissing her on the forehead. He nervously smiled at me and ran downstairs. Kaoru's face was as red as a tomato. I didn't know whether it was from embarrassment, anger or both, but she was red alright. She stepped out of the room and motioned for me to go down into her office. I said nothing and ran off to the room.

I sat in front of her desk with a silent tongue and my head held low in shame. The fourteenth captain walked in briskly. She slammed her hands down on the hard, wooden surface, and I was frightened.

"Didn't I tell you to go run an errand for me?' she asked in anger. I was afraid to delegate an answer, but I had no choice but to answer.

"Um…I did go over there but...bu-"  
>"But what?"<p>

"Uh, Aizen was kind of busy." I said sheepishly. She tapped her foot with impatience.

"Well, did he give you an answer?"

"I didn't mean busy in that sense. Let's put it this way, he was _getting _busy with someone." I said. She paused. Her angry smirk began to turn into a mischievous grin. She giggled playfully yet coyly.

"So," she began jokingly, "who was the link to Aizen's chain?" I gulped, wanting to curse myself for telling her such confidential information. I'm afraid of what she'll say or do if I tell her.

"G-G-Gin. Gin was with him." I sputtered nervously. She paused again, letting out a chuckle.

"Aw shit, I knew it! Ha ha, I knew that they were fucking since Selection Day during my academy days." She got out a cigarette and lit it.

"I'm confused, Kaoru."

"Well hell, what is there to be confused about? Aizen was my captain before I became one!" She admitted. I was shocked.

"I thought you were a captain initially." I responded. She scoffed.

"Pbsh, fuck no! Who in their right mind would turn my ass loose like that? Honey, mind you I was a shitty shinigami (say that five times fast) when I was selected. I'm shocked that someone even took the time to make me better! Well anyway, what did ya see when they were going at it?" She had a wide grin plastered on her face. I blushed, and I couldn't bring myself to answer her. She rolled her eyes I blushed, and I couldn't bring myself to answer her. She rolled her eyes playfully. "Bitch, please. I don't see why you're embarrassed when you didn't mind watching. Let's not even go there." She took a long drag on her cigarette. Ugh, I hate those things.

"Umm, as long as you don't tell any-"

"Who the fuck am I gonna tell; everybody and their mama's? Just get to the hairy details and stop being a damn scaredy cat!"

"Ok, well… Gin was on his back on a desk, and Aizen was in front of him. They went at it roughly." She smiled at me and laughed.

"God, you don't even _try _to make it sound sexy. You make it seem so mechanical. Say, have you ever had a boyfriend?" She put her cigarette away. I blushed again.

"No, I've never dated; nor have I been kissed." She nodded and chuckled.

"Yeah, I figured much. You're whole body _screams _virgin." She commented. "Hey I have an idea. Why don't I set you up on a blind date? You can meet a nice guy and have some fun!"

"Well I really don't want to-"

"It's settled. Your ass is going on a blind date. Now I'm going to make some phone calls, and then I'm going to teach you a new lesson: dating etiquette. Now, go find something nice to wear; nothing to prim and proper but nothing too skimpy and trampy." She fanned me away and began tapping the numbers on her telephone. As I went into my room to find something to wear, I felt an odd feeling about this blind date. I can honestly say that I am starting to not trust Kaoru with her outlandish ideas.


	9. Chapter IX:Are You Gonna Finish That?

Chapter IX: Are You Gonna Finish That?

"Keiko, are you done finding something to wear? I'm going to drop you off in a couple of hours." She shouted from the bottom of the stairs. I yelled back to her and slipped on a cool, yellow kimono, rushing down the stairs with my obi. Kaoru looked me over briefly and tied the obi.

"You are so damn traditional when it comes to events and shit. Hell, if it were me going on a date, I'd be in my little black dress, but again, you're not as cultured in the human ways as I am." She said as she rushed me over to a small table. She sat in front of me, and pointed to the tea seat between us.

"What's all this for?" I asked with confusion. She motioned for me to stay quiet.

"Listen, I'm briefly going to teach you dating etiquette since you are a sheltered individual. Ok, sorry to tell you this, but at a teahouse, you serve it to the man first. Watch me." She slowly and delicately lifted up the pot, one hand on the handle and the other on the bottom of the pot. She poured it into a cup and passed it towards me.

"Ok, that's easy enough." I said, inwardly rolling my eyes for having to learn something that was purely common sense. Kaoru to note to my attitude and sucked her teeth.

"I see you have a bad attitude now, but when your ass is out in public looking stuck, don't be pissed off with me. Come on, I'm taking you down there now cuz I wanna be nosy." She hopped up from the floor and sauntered outside.

The teahouse was not as busy as I would expect it to be. There were a few soul reapers here and there, but it was mostly senior citizens. Kaoru walked me into a separate, V.I.P. section of the teahouse and sat with me at a table.

"Renji should be here soon." She said, looking at the clock. I sighed quietly. I really didn't want to go on this date, but at the same time I don't want Kaoru to lecture me about "healthy dating habits".

As my eyes began to wander the room in search of something to keep me occupied, Kaoru suddenly began to excitedly tap my shoulder.

"What is it?" I asked still in a daze. She hit me and then smiled.

"Oh Renji, you're here!" She chimed. I snapped out of it and looked over towards the direction she yelled at. My, was he handsome. He had gorgeous red locks and a well-built body. But his eyes, oh his stare was piercing yet sexy. Kaoru motioned for him to approach the table. The duo gave each other a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Renji, this is Keiko. Keiko this is Renji." She said. He smiled at me, and we shook hands. He sat across from me at the table. Kaoru walked over and brought her lips close to my ear.

"Remember what I taught you." She whispered. She grinned widely at both of us and left the teahouse, probably going to finish what she and Shuuhei started earlier. After she left I looked around, and he noticed that I felt a bit awkward.

"Um, Keiko, would you like to order some food or something? This teahouse makes the best yakisoba I ever had!" He chimed, snapping for the waitress to come over. I nodded.

"Sure I guess I'll give that a try." I sighed. He ordered us two bowls of yakisoba, and then he ordered for her to go away. I was now becoming increasingly disgusted by him.

"So, what's your position as a soul reaper?" I asked, trying to stimulate some sort of conversation. His facial expression changed dramatically.

"Woman, you honestly do not _know _who _I _am? I am Renji Abarai, lieutenant of Squad Six. Please believe that I am quite strong!" He gloated with a prideful smile. I was far from amazed.

"I bet you are." I mumbled to myself as I took a sip of my tea. I noticed that his cup was empty and felt the need to offer a refill. "Would you like some more tea?" I asked. He nodded.

"Sure." I took his glass and poured some more tea into it, being sure to do the task as graceful as I possibly could be. However, this gesture didn't seem to faze him. "So, I was wondering, how do you feel about being a soul reaper? Are you catching on well enough?" I gulped. Oh I pray to Kami that he won't give me the speech about what it means to carry the name of the Iwamura clan because he would certainly be the last person to do so. I honestly was not in the mood for this.

"Um, I'm not really a soul reaper just yet… I'm slowly but surely am working on it." I responded with a fake yet giddy giggle.

"Well, if Kaoru is teaching you, then you'll be fine. However, if you had a teacher, take _me _for instance, you'd be in much better shape than you are now." He mused. Oh how I wanted to make him choke on his pompous words, but I held my composure. I'm definitely inheriting certain traits from Kaoru.

"Is that so? Do elaborate on why you would be the better teacher." He relaxed himself and cleared his throat.

"Well, for starters, there is one thing that separates me from Kaoru, and it's dedication. You see, she's very powerful and great at what she does, but she can never stay tied down to one project, or one man for that matter. Sooner or later… she'll be asking you to seek a different trainer because she'll be having one of her urges to run an errand of her own. Listen, _kid_, if I were you I would seek help elsewhere as soon as possible." I totally wanted to choke him then and there and was going to blow my lid, but luckily the waitress came with our food. He smiled at his food and then began to dig in. My was he animalistic. He gobbled down half of his noodles and some beef in five minutes. Meanwhile, I wasn't even done sipping my tea and taking my chopsticks apart. When I finally began eating, the redhead lieutenant was pretty much done with his meal.

"Ay, kid, you done with that?" he asked, crumbs and soy sauce were all over his face.

I looked down at my plate, which was hardly touched, and then moved it over to him. I reached into my little hand purse and pulled out some money.

"Renji, it was nice meeting and dining with you, but I must be on my way. I have some much needed training to do tomorrow." I said, getting up from the table.

"Well, remember what I said about Kaoru. Don't be disappointed when she decides to drop you." I looked at him and smiled.

"Well, I'm just gonna hope for the best. Goodnight." And with that I went to go catch a rickshaw to go home.


End file.
